Who's The Fool Now?
by Ari'el.Holland
Summary: She was placed with a strange task of "seducing an idiot"...or so he put it. Him, being her tyrannical boss slash best friend. With expectations of a certain man and massive reluctance, they meet, but after a little while, she is posed with a rather ironical question,"Who's the fool now?"
1. Introduction: Because Of Trust

_02/03/11: Yatta~! It is finally heeeere...! My semblance of a full-length fanfiction! Well, I truly hope you all enjoy this humble, little idea of mine. I was inspired to do this because of one of my favourite pairing and so I can CRUSH my least favourite pairing - heh, only kidding, I'm not the hating type. O.K., now, about this issue of rating, I suppose I will say it's a 'T' for Teen -For now (I just hope my stupid fingers can keep it that way) So, in the end, I hope you enjoy till end and pop a note to tell me what you think. :D Arigatou, mina-sama!_

_11/21/12: Soooo...while writing the following chapters, I decided to go through this again and I spotted a lot of things I didn't like. You guessed it - mistakes. I edited, added and subtracted every thing. Hope you find the newer version less confusing. I definitely do.  
_

_Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto  
_

* * *

_She was placed with a strange task of "seducing an idiot", or so he put it, from her tyrannical boss slash best friend._ _So, with expectations of a certain man and massive reluctance, they meet._ _However, after a little while, she finds herself pinned down with a rather ironical question..._

.

.

.

* * *

**Introduction**

_Because Of Trust_

* * *

"Y-You can't do this to me!"

He chuckled deeply, lacing his fingers in front of him, "Actually, being your boss, I can."

Staring for a long, hard moment, she then lifted her small hand and pointed an accusing finger at his face, "I'll never do it! This is sexual harassment! This...This-!"

The man on the other side of the desk simply inclined his head to her and gestured politely to the chair opposite him. With fiery, emerald eyes, she slumped back into the seat in front of her blonde boss, heaving out a sigh of resignation.

"You know that I hate doing things like that, Naruto..." Sakura whined, fidgeting like a child, "And you _know_ what's been going on. Why now?"

"It's _because_ of now, Sakura," He crooned, taking her hands in his, "I chose to wait now, more than ever, for a reason."

Another stressed noise, paired with a mutter, "Idiot."

"Is that a yes?"

"No! It's a-a..."

"I'll go over it again, okay?" He offered. Her brows furrowed in barely contained fury. It was just like him to do this to her. Well, in his words - "for her." But, knowing him for more than...her mind could register, he had an affinity with trouble. Yet, she found her head moving in a nod.

"One of the Presidents of a Company from an opposite city is coming for a business trip for 3 days -_ just _72 hours," His eyes sparkled, she could feel the persuasion dripping from his words - _Never been a subtle one, that blondie. _She tried to catch on with what he was explaining.

"Now, he usually comes with his subordinates but for personal reasons, he's coming alone and he is not familiar with Konoha, so I thought what could be better than being escorted around a beautiful town than with an even more beautiful woman!"

"You!" Her eyes widened with reborn anger, "Shameless, insensitive, un-!"

"Shh, shh," He put his finger to her soft lips, winking, "He's unmarried, and has been searching for a suitable wife for a while now - especially a woman from the business world. You know, for partnership sake? And, that guy, he's like a business superman!"

"Wife? Naruto, you, why...? You should know better than anyone that I'm not ready for a relationship anytime soon...or later,"

"I didn't say you've to marry the guy, Sakura," He soothed, shaking his head in assurance, "I'm just imploring you; appealing to my special, beautiful-"

"Alright, alright. I'm just supposed to play Little-Miss-Sunny-Tour-Guide for three days?"

"Actually, more like play '_batting-eyelids_' and '_candle-lit-showers_', if you know what I mean? But, yep, just 72 hours,"

"...What?" She squeezed her eyes shut then opened them again to see that - _Godammit, he's still there._

"Um, what better way to put it is there?" He mumbled, tapping his fingertips on his chin, "Well, If I put it bluntly-"

"Like you haven't already, dumbass..."

"-You'll have to seduce him."

"I hate you,"

"Oh, but don't you fret, Sakura-chan - " She narrowed her eyes incredulously, " - that guy is a major idiot! He has no clue when a girl has the hots for him or when his sister was all bitchy cause of that monthly-"

"I get it!" She snapped. Naruto, he had this sickening talent of being a little over-descriptive. The sigh that left her lips, she counted, was the umpteenth one since the moment she stepped into his office. "Seduce him...?" She echoed as though testing the sinful words on her own tongue.

"Mm-hm, which shouldn't be much of a problem for _you_," Hinted the blonde, giving her figure twice over and wiggling his brows.

_I will let that slide_, she decided. "And I'm guessing the main goal in this whole thing is...?"

"Ya know, get him over to our side. Partnership, bigger place, more money for _moi_..." He shared casually, rocking his head to the left and right at the possibilities.

She exhaled sharply. "I'd better get a raise or something for this, Naruto,"

"Of course, of course." He smirked knowingly, then perked up, "This project is practically a holiday for you, y'know? For the next week you can work from home to plan the itinerary. Then the week he's here you'll get _three_ full days off. Try to use it as a chance to let loose and, maybe even, spend more time with the kids,"

Another sharp breath left her lips as she dragged herself to the door. Stopping only to hear his concluding words, "Ne, Sakura, just trust me on this one, 'kay?"

"You always say that, Naruto..."

"Well, just go for it! I'm pretty sure when you take him to the Dango Stall, he won't be staring at the ones on the pla-ITAI!" He screamed, cradling the side of his throbbing skull. Her aim with pens was beyond amazing, it was frighteningly perfect. Where the hell did she get the damn thing was the real question here. But, he lifted his head to gaze at her when she sighed deeply, her eyes softening with what he knew was belief.

"I...I trust you, Naruto,"

"Hey, has there been a time when I haven't kept my promises?" He grinned playfully. She thought for a moment, blinking. It was actually true, the answer really was - _Never_. Sakura closed her eyes and breathed out another tired sigh, musing,

_And knowing him, he wouldn't start now..._

* * *

How was it? Hate it? Love it? 'Li-spect' it?

Drop me a line, kay? Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 1: Because Of Blood

**_Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto_**

* * *

**Chapter One**

_Because of Blood_

* * *

It was almost a stagger, the way she came into her apartment. Turning the lock of the door, she set her shoes daintily on the ledge, hung her coat up and entered the toasty house with a whisper, "I'm home..." It was mostly to herself because by this time of the day, the other inhabitants of the house would be in their own world. It wasn't shared anymore. The place once called a home had turned into something like a hotel.

They go out, come back and just say a word or two and just...hibernate.

She sighed at the depressive thoughts. The scent of hot ink and heavy coffee, from the long hours in the office, still lingered in her head like a sad song. Dragging herself towards her room, she flicked her green eyes to the clock on the wall.

_God, it's already 11:45..._ She inhaled deeply and made a turn towards the kitchen to get a glass of water, take some sleeping pills and hit the damn hay. However, it was then that her tired depths caught sight of a huge pile of unwashed dishes in the sink; the trash was overflowing; a pot was half-full with what she recognized, a failed attempt at _miso_ soup and cups of _ramen_ were left around the counter tops. A pungent stench swirling through her beautiful kitchen and flies were beginning to swarm to the open, filled bins.

Sakura wanted to scream, but she settled with throwing her bag onto the sofa before rolling her sleeves up sharply. It wasn't her fault she was an obsessive compulsive type, it wasn't her fault that she was trained to keep the place clean and it wasn't her damn fault that some men just could not understand that they needed to wash the dishes!

"It's so simple, once you use it, you put it back. But, for males, what comes after A? That's right, C!" She grumbled, shuffling around the small kitchen, not even knowing where to start. But, she was quite certain who did this. That _man_ was going to get it from her later on.

_Well, that brat has no right to ask me to call him a man if he can't even act like one!_ Muttering inwardly, as she ran through the list of punishments in her head and when she saw the flash of raven hair from the corner of her eye, she growled.

He came into the kitchen and Sakura just watched in pure, raw, anger as he stared at her, quirking a fine brow as he poured himself a glass of water, "You're early,"

"I'm early...?" She echoed, fist shaking by her sides as she clenched them tightly. Realizing just what was coming next, he set the cup down and watched as she lifted her mad, jade eyes.

"Uchiha Seishirou!" She snapped, pointing to the sink and all the dirty plates inside, "What is this mess? How many times must I tell you? What you use, put it-"

"Don't call me that." He ordered firmly, his turquoise depths irritated.

"...What?" Sakura squinted, cocking her head to the side, locks of pink spilling out of her now loosened bun. She paused, processing just what he was trying to tell her, before sighing deeply, "Oh, Honey..."

She ran her fingers through her now loose hair and reached to the higher cupboard to snatch the medication that cost more than she earned in a week but never works. "I understand what you're going through, but you…"

She stretched and went on her tiptoes, her fingers merely brushing against the transparent glass. She huffed, cursing her height, as she tried again, yet in vain. He chuckled halfheartedly and Sakura took a step back, to give him room to take the bottle, drawling, "Every mother says that,"

She nodded her thanks when he handed her the evil looking bottle of red capsules. "Well, I've got proof," She added with a sad smile, tucking a lock of his dark bangs away from his handsome face, "Because just as much as he was your father, he was my husband too..."

"He was never a father to me," He growled, flicking his face to the side, disagreeing with her touch and words. That was the first time he ever said something like that. Shocked, she drew back, blinking, "Seishirou..."

He suppressed a snarl as he bit out acidly, "What kind of father leaves his own family like that?"

"Seishi, your father, he, just..."

"Ma, how can you still justify what he did to us?" He grabbed her shoulders, lowering his face and stared at the tears that fell on his forearm, "...To you?"

He rammed the elder woman into his embrace and she could help but feel so wronged all over again when she heard his final words for the night, "I just happened to have _that man_'s blood in me. That's all,"

With that, he left he cup on the counter and walked off.

* * *

Her bony fingers were aching so badly. _Typing for five hours straight for five days a week, you think you'd get use to it_, she scoffed, rubbing her damp locks with the towel around her neck. But, even though she had been on the computer for the whole day, she found her way back to it when questions began to swirl in her mind. Questions concerning the hottest topic of the week and the name on every girl's lips.

Opening her laptop roughly, she slouched on her bed and rested the white machine on her raised knees, gazing at the bright screen. Long, pale waves of pink fell around her shoulders as she began to search the web for the name that she was beginning to grow curious of.

_'Sabaku No Gaara.'_

Scanning through the millions of answers, she found plenty of information about this one man and checked through the news side of this topic. The Daily Press, The _Konoha_ Gazette, The Leaf, The Sand Times were her top choices and, slowly, she scanned each one of them for anything regarding this mystery of a man.

"_What the...?_" She muttered incredulously, squinting at the words before her, "Charged for _murder_ at five years old?" Clicking around, other sites stated he saved the life of a Konoha citizen when he was here as a child for an exam. Another said that he killed his father and elder brother to take the place at head of the company. But, after fifteen minutes and more than fifteen sites, Sakura found that all of them had one thing in common, they didn't make any sense.

Closing the machine, she placed it beside her and sunk into the softness of the bed.

_Sleep, Sakura,_ she mulled inwardly, _tomorrow you'll get it done_.

* * *

_**8 hours later**_

.

.

.

She was late for work, they were late for school and the cornflakes were now all over the floor. She rolled her sleeves up and fetched the cloth to wipe the newly-added floorboards, her movements were sharp and quick.

"Sorry, mummy…" A tiny and guilt-filled voice mewled, "I didn't mean to,"

Shaking her head, she smiled softly, "It's alright, sweetie. Just try to be more careful next time. You got your bag?" The little boy nodded, pointing to the blue knapsack on his back. Another voice rang out from behind, taunting, "Idioooot."

"Mummy!" Souji whined, glaring at his elder sister.

Sakura clicked her tongue and sent a glare her way, "Sana, be nice to your brother..."

Rolling her eyes at her younger brother, Sana stood from her seat and slung her bag over her shoulder.

"It's too early for your petty fights anyway," Seishirou added, calmly tipping in the milk into his bowl of cereal. Sakura's eyes widened, "Seishi, we're leaving now! Why are you eating _now_?"

He rose a fine brow, "Oh."

"Don't 'Oh' me, young man. Grab the cereal, your bag and move it!"

Balancing paper work, envelopes and other things that made her fume even more, Sakura stumbled out of the elevator that jerked to a sudden stop at the top level and she cursed when files spilled on the carpeted floor. Dropping to her knees, she grumbled under her breath as she collected them. Just as she was organizing them all over again, she saw someone reach for the one furthest away from her.

"I need to get you an alarm clock, woman." Kiba remarked, handing her the last slip of paper. Even in her foulest of moods, he knew how to make it worse. With a huff, she retorted, "Get me another job first,"

Struggling to stand in her 4-inch heels, she sent a grateful smile to him when his hand cupped her elbow, before snatching the pile of books from under her arm. Walking in with her into the office, Kiba sniggered out a question, "So, what happened?"

"Oh, the usual," She offered casually, "They're late. I'm late. Ah, something exciting did happen, my son nearly ran an old lady over when I decided to let him _practice_ driving,"

Kiba's eyes widened, "You can't be serious?"

Sakura nodded slowly, "It took ten minutes to convince the jackass in blue that he won't be behind the wheel until he _actually_ gets his Driver's License."

Kiba chuckled in reply and set the books on her desk. Sakura sighed as she stretched out her cramp joins and sunk into her seat, "You're a life-saver, Kiba,"

"No worries," He grinned. Just as she expected him to leave, Kiba took a step closer and bent over to meet her eyes, "You've been seriously tense the past few months. Wanna talk about it over lunch later?"

Sakura blew out a breath as she turned away, "Kiba, please, you know that I can't,"

His eyes flashed with concern, and he nodded, "Well, for what it's worth. I'm around and if there's a way I can make life a lil' easier for you, don't be afraid to call,"

A soft nod was given to him to make him go, to make him feel like she'd consider it. When he did leave, she heaved out a heavy breath and cracked her knuckles, readying herself to check through the overflowing inbox.

* * *

It had been a pretty damn productive morning. She managed to checked and replied all the mails, briefed Naruto on his events for the week and even had time for a lunch break, which was also known as breakfast for her.

But, right now, it was after lunch and the blonde idiot had ordered her to _wait_ for a call that would come at 1:30 P.M. She was not allowed to walk anywhere, do anything or say anything until she had answered that stinking call. The bub hadn't even told her who the person would be and what they needed. But, with her refined instincts, she had an idea that it had to do with the whole Miss-Sunny-Tour-Guide ploy. But, maybe-just maybe-it had to do with..._him_.

Lifting her eyes to the clock, she saw it was ten minutes after the set-time. Well, whoever the hell it was, they were late and that would mean she was free. Wiggling her toes and shaking off her tensed fingers and as she rose to get a cup of water, the phone rang. She lifted the piece to her ears in anticipation,

"Hello…?"

"Hi, I'm Temari from Suna and Co. May I know who I'm speaking with?"

"Ah, good afternoon, I'm Haruno Sakura. I've been expecting your call, Temari-san,"

"You have, eh?" Her accent was a little edgy and slightly coarse like the land she was born from. But, Sakura honestly found it rather riotous - the kind of slang you would use if you had a sexy bike, tight, leather clothes and pair of slamming boots. It was bad-ass with class.

"Yes, and I hope that the plans for Gaara-sama to come over for the stay in Konoha are going swiftly and smoothly."

"If you put it that way, then, yeah." She commented with a loose air. Just from her casualness, Sakura would bet that her sandy feet were propped up on the desk and her hair loose and flowing, but yet she had this dignity that almost dared her to judge. Sakura found herself wishing she could be that unaffected with life and everything it encompasses. Temari cackled over the phone, "But, honestly, working with that kid is a nightmare after nightmare,"

_That kid? Nightmare after nightmare?_ Sakura pulled the phone away just to blink at it. Was she really hearing a office woman referring to her boss like that? Talk about guts.

"Is that so?" Sakura replied with an airy chuckle, "So, could you send me the details by email and add any sort of preferences or dislikes of Gaara-sama during his stay here?"

"Yep, not an issue. You'll have it by tonight," She informed easily, then paused, "Sakura, right?"

"Yes," the named woman nodded and waited.

"Take care of my brother, will ya?" She breathed into the phone, hanging up before Sakura could throw in another sound.

Huffing out a breath, Sakura rose to storm over to the CEO's office. _She knows, she knows about this whole, stupid plan._ Sakura growled to herself. Through the slits of the blinds, she saw Naruto gently replacing the phone to it's original position as naughty chuckles fell out of his mouth. It was as though her head was a hot, steaming bun and she rapped her knuckles against the glass panel and he looked up with a shocked but formal gaze, then he saw Sakura. At the look of her glower, his eyes widened and he expected her to shatter the glass to pieces, but she merely flipped him off while mouthing, "_Fuck you_,"

_Maybe, thirteen years ago, Sakura._ Naruto mused with a chuckle, reaching for his personal handphone. _But, it's __**his**__ turn now._

* * *

_Reviews make my writer's life worth living~!_

_Oh, and, I just realized that Who's The Fool Now? The anagram can be changed to: WTFN- What the fuck, Naruto? Heh~~I love English.  
_


	3. Chapter 2: Because of Photos

_A/N: Well, perhaps, I owe you all an explanation. But, then again, I don't. ^^; But, I still love you all. I was alerted by the reviews I was getting for FFnet and I suddenly realized that, "Omigawd, I still have a FFnet Profile..." You see, I've been so obsessed with DA, WattPad and stuff that I forgot about this. But, I'm glad I remembered and I hope that YOU still remember me, too. :)_

_So, this chapter is a little longer, for you, lovely people. Go through it and let me know what you think. I read each and everyone of your reviews and it blesses my shriveled, writer's heart. HAH. Well, whatever it is, just know that..._

_I. Am. Back._

_IGiveYouMyLuff,_

_- Ari'el_

_P.S. (Oh, and by the way, my brain just decided to kick out 'T' and replace it with 'M' in this chapter and here onwards. . .Forgive me?)  
_

**_Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto_**

* * *

**Chapter Two **

_Because of Photos_

She had replied all his emails and her emails for the day, managed his appointments and held off unwanted ones, got him a meeting with a huge and interested party and all in the span of four hours. So much had been accomplished, but yet it felt like she had done nothing at all. Sakura guessed it was because she was a pro, but even pros felt satisfied after winning, right?

When she straightened herself to stretch her taut limbs, she could feel them creaking and crunching at the new position which was when she also felt a pair of large, warm hands on her shoulders, slowly kneading into her tense muscles and thumbing every throbbing nerve that she didn't even know existed.

"Relax, Haruno. Your back is like a plank of wood," A deep voice instructed from behind her. She sighed softly, willing her body to go lax and limp under his knowing touch, "Neji, you don't have to-"

"Shh…" The brunette hushed, pitching his voice to a darker tone, "I want to,"

Her breath hitched in her throat and her heart thudded loudly against her ribs. The way men seemed to flock around her every since _he_ left still surprised her. But, more than that, it made her uncomfortable and once they left on their own accord or not, she felt guilty. Dirty, even.

His hands became moving downwards, fingertips brushing over her shoulder blades. Her her temples drummed with worry and excitement. Blood gushed to her cheeks and loins. She couldn't do this. Not now.

Clearing her throat, she stood hastily and turned to face him. His milky orbs were glazed over and his hands slowly returned to his sides as he watched, calculated her moves.

"I'm…going to make myself some coffee," She stammered out, her green eyes fixed somewhere beyond his shoulders so that the fluttering redness wouldn't take over her whole face at his heavy gaze.

"Sakura, you-" Before another word could be registered in her head, she fled the room.

* * *

It had been almost two years since Sasuke had left without a trace and six months since she had decided the wait was long enough and filed for a divorce, that had yet to be legalized. During the six months, people found out on their own that she was now a single woman-_again_-and the past two months, because of her open confirmation to the prying eyes and evasive questions, brought forth the suitors who had lost their chance 17 years ago and many new ones. But, for Sakura, her mind was on anything, but a man by her side.

Reaching out for the packet of 3-in-1 coffee powder, Sakura sighed at the fact that now every man who was single was just waiting outside her cubicle, praying for her attention and approval. It didn't help anything she was feeling now, because the bottom line was that the only man who she wanted anything from didn't want her. In fact, he walked out of her life without so much as a goodbye. All she felt was worthless, unwanted and, basically, like trash - use it once, then throw it away. How she could bear with that she a second time would be a feat. So, right now, Sakura was sticking to the rule of once bitten, you can stay the fuck away from me.

"What the hell are you thinking about, Billboard Head?" A creamy voice snapped from beside her, "You've been shaking that empty packet of coffee for two minutes now," Sakura shifted her eyes to the side and watched Ino narrow her blue eyes before scowling bitterly, "Haruno Sakura, how many freaking times must I tell you to stop thinking about that asshole?" Sakura frowned at the dry powder at the bottom of her cup before shaking her head, "I wasn't,"

"If you weren't, then just what were you thinking about?" Ino questioned, hands on her hips and her gaze unwavering. Stepping past her to get to the water dispenser, Sakura tried to come up with the nearest thing to the truth and added it in nonchalantly, "About the fact that your daughter has been texting my son on a regular basis,"

"Inoko?" Ino's eyes went wide and she gaped, "Texting _your_ son?"

"I might have stumbled on their chat history as well,"

"_Why, that little-_Oh_, _she's going to get it from me when I get home."

* * *

"Sakura-obachan is angry?" A little voice piped up from beside her. Sakura jumped slightly and then smiled down at the depthless, milky orbs that gazed up in worry.

Even though this child was the spawn of the creator of all her earthly problems, she couldn't seem to find it in herself to take it out on him. Because just as much as he was Naruto's son, he was Hinata's as well. With deep, quiet eyes and silky, black hair that matched his mother's, Sakura found Hiroshi absolutely enchanting. Patting the little boy's cheek, she shook her head, "Sakura-obachan isn't angry, she's just…"

"Sakura-obachan!" Another voice squealed from the door. It was then that she allowed herself to sigh. Hiroshi Uzumaki was an angel, but, the older girl was another issue altogether. Blonde hair flowed behind her as she dashed through the office to greet her favorite Aunty. With one springy move, Sakura found herself with an armful of little girl.

"Hello, Kushina," The pinkette chuckled, squeezing the girl playfully. Blue eyes went wide at the sight of Hiroshi next to them and she narrowed her firm depths carefully, "Why are _you_ here?"

"Daddy told me to check that Sakura-obachan isn't too angry," He explained with all the seriousness in the world. If the daughter of her boss wasn't in her lap right now, she would have smacked her forehead. Then, she saw Kushina's lively gaze grow calculative as she faced Sakura.

"Did Daddy make you angry, _again_?" was the words from her quivering lips. Knowing that this child had somewhat frightening protective instincts, she decided to shake her head and change the topic,

"You know, I heard something from Seishi'…"-Kushina's eyes went wide in expectancy- "Something like he prefers _blondes to _brunettes,"

There was a long pause. A gasp. Then, the room shook when Kushina decided to announce her joy to the world with a delighted scream. Hiroshi covered his ears with a frown and Sakura began to laugh at the ironic situation of Naruto's kids cheering her up.

* * *

Twenty minutes after the children ran off to poke their nose somewhere else, the clock told Sakura that work was almost over, and so was school. Well, school was long over and the kids were probably getting ready for bed. It was half past 8. So, she decided to hand in her reports and call it a day.

Knocking her papers on the desk to even them out, she cradled them and marched to the CEO's office. It wasn't too long a walk and anyway she had gotten used to getting up almost five times a day just to pass the lazy-ass something.

The knock they shared was a secret one that only she as his secretary knew and one he would respond immediately. So, for him to not allow her entrance after knocking twice made her a little worried. After a slight hesitation, She opened the door and saw something she didn't need to for the next million years.

His hands were on her head and wrapped in Hinata's long, loose hair as he growled out obscenities. She was under the table and between his legs, but it took Sakura a full two minutes to understand the situation before screaming out, the papers falling to the floor - along with her sanity.

"OMIGOD, NARUTO!"

"Wha…? SAKURA?" He scrambled to his feet and forgot to zip up his fly and it only lead to more screaming. Hinata was flushed from top to toe and unable to mutter a single word at the fact that they were caught.

"You put your kids with me so you both could do THAT?!" She screeched in accusation and Naruto pressed his finger to his lips in attempt to calm her down, then he whispered, "Sakura, you know it isn't like that, we-"

"Then WHAT is it?" Her patience was growing short as well as her time here as his personal assistant. There was only so much that a 39-year-old woman could handle, _this_ was one of the things she could not.

"W-W-W-We were j-just…" Hinata stuttered, her dark hair in a mess and her dress unbuttoned to her bellybutton. Naruto smacked his head at his wife's unchanged behavior before turning back to Sakura with a serious look, "What is it you need anyway?"

"I'm heading back home," She declared, then pointed to the scattered papers on the ground, "These are the reports for you to look through."

He nodded, before releasing a deep sigh, "Sakura-chan, I know that it's not easy for you to-"

"Don't. Just don't," She cut him off and turned to leave, without another word and a slam of the door. Storming out, she snatched her bag from her desk, muttered a few parting words to her colleagues and let the tears run once the elevator doors slid shut.

This was the second time she had caught them hanky-pankying during working hours and within office grounds since Sasuke had left two years ago.

It did not make things any easier for her.

* * *

It was past ten. Again. Even though she had left the office at nine, the traffic jam and the length of time it took for her to get home while crying her eyes out made it so that Sakura was home with make-up smudged and all over her chin. However, at that moment, she was happy that her children went to their rooms earlier.

Staring at the clock again, Sakura sighed as the heavy weight, named guilt, dropped in her stomach. It wasn't this way before. She had only been working for two years and this was the first time that she couldn't fetch her kids home from school for a whole month. No, scratch that. This was the first time in her sixteen years of being a mother that she came home after her children fell asleep. _She_ was supposed to be the one tucking them in, reading them stories and helping them with their homework. Her darling children didn't have a father, and now they didn't have a mother, either.

Pain tugged at her chest and she let out a shaky breath. Falling onto the couch, she stared at the pictures all around the room and her tired eyes stopped at the one with their family-Their complete family. A smiling Sasuke had little six-year-old Sana in his arms, ten-year-old Seishirou stood proudly by his side and a confused, four-year-old Souji had his arms wrapped around his mother's neck as he sported a cute pout.

Sakura averted her gaze from the smiling faces on the photograph. She didn't know those people. Not anymore. But, even though she told herself that, she couldn't help but fall back into the memories of yesterday.

Since the tender age of seventeen, they had promised to be together forever and married just a year after college. A year into their marriage, they had a beautiful child together and after Seishirou came along, they knew that they couldn't stop at one. Then came along, Sana and Souji. All the years that she had been in the Uchiha family, she had depended on Sasuke.

All she had to do was raise his children and make sure that he was never hungry, all in the comfort of their home. Like every normal Japanese family, she was a home-maker. While Sasuke was a Police Man who worked from five-to-nine and, from what she saw, loved his family. He provided, he spent time with them and, most of all, he was there. But, the moment their youngest turned eight, something changed and one day, her husband just stopped coming home.

It never made sense to her. He never talked, in fact, they never even argued. But, one day, he just started packing his bags and left the moment they were filled. She couldn't even get a word out of him as he walked out the door. Then, that very night, she found his ring on the bedside table on top of a note with just two words.

"Thank you," She muttered, wondering how such tender words could become something so cruel, so painful…

So _wrong_.

Grabbing her bags, she stalked back to her room-_their room-_-and wanted to forget about everything, regretting the fact she even tried to remember or that she _wanted_ to.

* * *

She stood under the shower for a long time before she finally recalled the fact that she was supposed to receive and reply Temari's email about the CEO coming over to stay. Sakura had yet to figure out what to do with him for the three days that he would be here. Heck, she didn't even know where he was going to stay. Her head pounded from the inside as she opened her email inbox.

The mail was there, alright. Taking her time and deep, calming breaths, she scanned through it.

From what her throbbing brain had gathered, the man would be here in just three days and was expecting for someone to escort him. The expectation came along with a full list of his dislikes and likes. Now, all they needed from her within the three remaining days was a full itinerary and information about the meeting. The usual.

But, what caught her mind was the fact that he really was coming alone. This was rare among other companies, cause they usually had like a whole hoard of people, bodyguards and half of their company with them. Not even a mention of a secretary or pet could be seen. Just the CEO-Gaara. Which meant that Naruto wasn't lying when he said that he was coming here for _personal_ reasons.

Sakura swallowed worriedly.

Then again, considering the recent conversation with Naruto, he must have pulled some strings to made sure that she and the illustrious President of the Company would have more than enough time to '_get to know each other_'. Reading again, she found that it only said that he would be arriving at the airport and _this_ is how she would recognize him. Scrolling down, there was a single photo attached and her breath caught in her throat.

It was as formal and business-like as any other "bio" picture should be. But, it was the man within the frame that made her lean closer to the computer and stare in wide-eyed wonder.

Shaggy, blood red locks framed his long, pale face. His eyes, rimmed with dark circles, were a bottomless, jade. Sakura had a hard time figuring out if he was blind or not, especially with the fact that he barely had any pupils. Her eyes traveled upwards and she realized that the CEO of Suna and Co. had no distinctive eyebrows, either. But, he did have the kanji for "love" on the left side of his forehead. But, somehow it looked more like a scar than a tattoo.

Although the analogy was pretty crass, at this point, Sakura felt like he was like some wild, brilliant animal that was recently discovered and she was going to be the zookeeper. She had no idea how to deal with him and now seeing his picture only made things worse. Naruto was probably spot-on and minimizing when he said that the man was a little screw-loose because only an idiot would look the way he did and hold the highest position in a company. Or maybe his followers were the dumbos, because there was no way she would take a guy like that seriously.

_He looks like friggin' crackpot,_ she commented to herself. Right then, her eyes returned to his light eyes and her heart fluttered. _But, that said, he truly is a sight to behold. . ._

With a huff, she closed the laptop and cursed her childishness. She was not falling for pretty, foreign faces. Not this time. She was just getting a job done.

That's it.

* * *

For some explainable reason, the kids looked pretty bummed today, which made it a little harder for her to tell them the bad news. But, she'd rather have them aware of the situation than resent her for not being with them as they wanted for the coming holidays.

"So..." She started. The three of them perked up in attention. "You all seem pretty zonked. What's going on? The three sighed, but remained quiet until Sana groaned, "Today's the English exam,"

Sakura winced. She had forgotten that her children were going through the exam period now.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll do fine, honey," She chimed over her shoulder. Sana let out a heavy breath and tried to smile. Sakura turned to her eldest in question. Seishirou sunk into his chair and grumbled, "It's Maths for me,"

"That's my best subject! But, I'm having English, like Ne-chan," Souji clamored from his side. Sakura chuckled and then remembered the reason she began talking in the first place. She took in a breath.

"Sweethearts," She started sadly, the air grew tense with worry, "I know that I promised for the holidays I'll be home as much as much as possible, but Naruto-ojisan just put me in charge of this really important project, and-" Seishirou rolled his eyes and sighed. She sent him a curt look, before continuing. "-I won't be home that much until end of next week."

"What's the project about, Mommy?" Souji asked, dark eyes glittering with wonder. She smiled dryly into the mirror, "Mommy's gonna be a tour-guide for this really important guy from another country,"

"You've got to be kidding me," Groaning, Seishirou smacked his forehead. The car was bursting with question after that and she snapped, "Okay, okay! I'll answer your questions after school,"

Sana rose a brow, staring at her mother through the reflection, "But, you come back at eleven and we are in bed by nine,"

"So, that means we get to sleep later?" Souji inquired hopefully. The pink-haired mother shook her head and grinned, "I'll be doing most of the planning at home, so I'm coming home for dinner. We can talk then."

All the children whooped joyously, chattering about what they wanted for dinner and Sakura suddenly felt lighter than she had in the longest time.

Perhaps, this project wouldn't be as bad as she thought.

* * *

"Gaara-sama, would like some coffee later or perhaps-?"

"No," He quipped, bringing his fingers to his temple. Her pretty face fell and the young CEO softened his tone when his finished, "Thank you, Matsuri." She offered him a soft bow and smile as she backed away, closing the door behind her.

It was twelve in the afternoon and another stressful, pressurizing opening ceremony had passed. Now, the only solitude he would get was when he was in his large office, and that never usually lasted for more than an hour. He had probably seen more people today than all his childhood years combined and the voices of women congratulating him on his expanding business still rang clearly in his saturated mind.

Sinking into the leather seat, he relished the natural silence of the room. The breeze coming through an open room, his home-grown cactus, silent and still, in the corner of the room and…a ringing phone.

Flicking his eyes to the offending object, a sigh was heaved from his lips as the inorganic noise made his ears throb. Half of him said to hang it up without another word, but the other half convinced him against it.

The latter won.

He padded over to his personal handphone, a smirk appearing on his lips when it read, "_Naruto Uzumaki_" and for the first time that day, he answered his phone with unguarded emotions, "Good Afternoon, Naruto,"

"Yo, Gaara!" The bright voice boomed, and the red-haired man began to guess that he had some grand idea bubbling from his mouth, "I need you to check your email! Like, now!"

"Alright, alright." Gaara sighed, settling himself in front of his personal laptop and opening the bookmark which lead to his private inbox. Clicking the latest email from Naruto, his breath hitched in his throat when the photo of a pink-haired, awfully sexy woman appeared on screen. Her eyes sparkled like emeralds and her skin glowed with peachy richness.

And it was like Naruto knew exactly what was going on at the other side of the country when he questioned the silent man, "So…as a guy, is she pretty?"

Gaara let his eyes trail over every detail of this woman who he didn't know and understood exactly what was going on, which brought his smooth reply, "Honestly? She's stunning…"

* * *

A/N: Well, that's it for now. Thank you for reading, darling. The next part should be up by...next month? I WILL TRY TO MAKE IT SOONER, OKAY? . So~Thank you for bearing with my sporadic ways as a writer. I genuinely appreciate everything you write to me-the good, bad and ugly.

Oh, and, do check me out on DeviantArt and WattPad as well, yeah? It's on my Profile Page. ^^

P.S. (Just to make you a little excited-I'm working on some major fan-art for this story. Kya~)


End file.
